Since I started my blog over 13 years ago, one of the real pleasures has been striking up virtual friendships not only in the UK but as far aways as Colorado and Washington State in the US and Queensland, Australia. Its always a nice lift when someone takes the time to read my posts and writes a nice comment (just one negative one!). I’ve never actually had an opportunity to meet up in person but that’s now been put right.
Since coming across the Treks and Tors blog some years ago I’ve been able to learn a whole load of stuff about Dartmoor and the coastal paths of the south west and even been able to plan some of my own walks in that area that were all superb (apart from one utterly miserable wet day when the forecast sold me down the river). This year I was finally able to meet up with its author/owner (whatever the write title is for a blogger). Steve and his partner Linda were on a trip to south Wales and this time I was able to join them and show off a bit of my home patch.
Steve and Linda were wonderful company and we were immediately chatting away like we’d known each other for years, which, in a way, we have I guess.
We’d discussed some routes beforehand and had settled on a round of the Grwyne Valley, taking in the highest points in the Black Mountains. We’d set off early s the forecast had been for an ok morning but deteriorating later. Sadly the weather was looking grim as we approached the top of Pen y Gadair Fawr, enveloping us in cloud and heavy drizzle.
A group summit photo and I look a lot happier than when I take my selfies!
We thought we were in for a bit of a soaking but as soon as we left the top the rain stopped and it brightened up a little and even gave us some views over the Black Mountains.
It wasn’t a day for long stops so we covered the ground pretty quickly. Its kind of re-assuring that people who share you own passions for the outdoors and walking make such easy and fun company. Had I been out on my own on a day like this it would probably have turned into a bit of dreary route march (or more likely I wouldn’t have gone out at all). As it turned out I look back on the day with great memories of a fine day in the mountains with new friends. We had a good laugh at many points and I was particularly reassured that both Steve and Linda also “go to the pictures” when heading out to watch a film (and not go to the Cinema as the young people now say and roll eyes when I use the correct term!)
My only regreat is that I was so busy enjoying the walk I didn’t take all that many photos. Steve took a lot more so you might get a better idea of the walk from his write up of the day here.
Steve is very much a man for a post walk pint so after we finished the walk we headed down to the wonderfully named Llanvihangel Crucorney and The Skirrid Inn. Its supposedly the oldest pub in Wales and what a fine old place it is, all old slate walls and character (and a fine pint of Butty Bach). Surprising therefore that its the first time I’ve been in despite living in the area for 22 years
Steve and Linda were off back home to Devon so we bid our farewells and parted company. Really hope we can meet up again either in my patch or theirs. A really great day out.
As expected the forecast for the next day was much worse and the weather actually much better!
Just a few photos from a very short solo walk on my local Garway Hill.
Very muddy and wet up there still at the start of March. I would be hoping the recent nice weather would dry things out but its been raising at home all day today – again!
Sunshine has been in very short supply of late and it seems a while back in November when the sun came out to any meaningful degree.
A frosty day back in early November and me and TBF were out and about to make the most of a glorious morning.
A circuit of the Grwyne Fawr valley in the Black Mountains. The autumn colours on the trees as we set off was magnificent.
I think this is the first time I’ve walked this route at this time of year so it was a delight to see it in full technicolor glory.
My O/S mapping wasn’t working properly so I crossed the river a bridge too soon and the boggy walk through the forest was not ideal. With views like this it didn’t matter too much.
Onwards and out onto the open fell and the only real ascent of the day onto Pen y Gadair Fawr.
Fabulous, crystal clear views all around.
TBF joins me on the summit.
A view south over towards the Sugar Loaf, Bristol Channel glinting in the distance
Summit panorama looking westwards towards the Brecon Beacons.
Waun Fach, the highest if not the most impressive of the Black Mountains summits. Pen y Gadair Fawr is by far the more impressive peak and looks higher from everywhere else than Waun Fach itself.
Zoom shot over to the Brecon Beacons.
And another panorama, this time looking east.
They’ve done some superb work up here on the summit plateau. What was once peat hags, black soil and soggy bog is now wavy grass with an excellent path. Easy going over what was once a really wet and tiresome stretch. Always good to seen the ponies as well.
Looking back to Pen y Gadair Fawr and its more distinctive summit.
We didn’t linger on Waun Fach and instead pressed on looking for a decent lunch stop.
I think you can agree this one was a bit of a cracker.
The clarity of the air was amazing and we could see for miles. The clouds hanging over the mountains making fro some dramatic effects.
Always pleases me to take a stop in this area with a view to my very first mountain, Mynydd Troed.
Suitably refreshed and relaxed we moved on. Fine views along the Dragons Back ridge of Y Grib, a route I’ve not done for quite a while.
The clouds that had created such fine views earlier raced across and obscured the blue skies from earlier, heralding the next spell of wet weather that arrived the following day.
It stayed dry for us though. We took in a stop just by the reservoir dam for second lunch. A great little spot overlooking the Grwyne Fawr valley.
A fine stroll along the easy path above the valley and back to the car to finish the day.
Back a couple of weeks to a time when we thought summer had arrived. Looking out a dull skies and forecasts of heavy rain for the next few days I need to remind myself what it looked like.
Another forecast of early morning sunshine had us out early for breakfast in the hills.
Our chosen spot this time was Castell Dinas at the bottom of the Y Grib, Dragons Back ridge in the Black Mountains. Its only a short walk from the car and its been difficult to get up here recently as the main road has been closed for a couple of years after a landslide.
We found an elevated perch on one of the old earth wall remains and enjoyed our feast in the warm sunshine. Idyllic.
Breakfast with a view like this can’t be beaten.
Cooking up the feast for me! (TBF prefers a banana and, well, that’s about it)
While we sat there we had one of those rare odd moments of unfriendliness you get in the hills. A guy walked past and decided, for whatever reason, that he absolutely needed to walk along the same narrow little perch we were sat on (his two companions walked a discrete distance away). Despite the fact he pretty much trod on our stuff and us, and came close to knocking the stove over, I still, as I always do, I said a cheery good morning. He didn’t acknowledge or reply. Obviously he had taken offence at where we were sat or possibly that we had quite a bit of stuff spread out, who knows! Of course we always clear up afterwards and leave no trace. Odd chap.
Can’t let an odd moment like that distract such a glorious morning and we lingered for ages as its such a grand spot with great views.
I’m not sure what these trees are (Hawthorn?) but they were in bloom all around the walk and were quite striking, visible as swathes of white across the hillsides.
Time to move on and climb some hills.
Looking back to our breakfast castle.
The Y Grib ridge is as fine as the Cats Back ridge on the other side, albeit without the rocky outcrops. Mynydd Troed’s shapely outline behind and a distant Pen-y-Fan behind that.
Its a nice easy way to gain height to the main ridge of the Black Mountains, especially on a morning as fine as this.
The broad valley that separates the main Black Mountains range from Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse.
TBF enjoying the ridge.
Approaching the top. I camped up here in the summer heatwave 3 years ago.
And finally onto the main ridge and the path to Waun Fach, highest point of the Black Mountains. The conservation teams have done a wonderful job with this path. What used to be a boggy muddy trudge is now a perfectly engineered gravel and stepped route that’s a joy to walk on.
We were joined by several gliders from the nearby air strip.
You may have noticed the bank of clouds out to the west in the previous sunny photos. Well, they were on their way (as forecast, hence the early start) and duly arrived as we headed down towards Mynydd Llysiau.
Whilst we lost the blue skies we had odd patches of sun and it was still warm and dry and perfect for walking.
Looking back to Pen Allt Mawr. The trees in the middle were awash with white flowers but its doesn’t really show in the photo.
It’s a long descent all the way to the bottom of the valley for the return via Mynydd Troed. The steep climb enlivened by more of the white flowered trees.
Looking back across the valley to Pen Allt Mawr.
The ridge of Mynydd Troed is fine and long climb and one that I’ve never seen anyone else on.
Sadly, three years ago it was badly damaged by fires and the recovery is slow progress. The grassy path recovered quickly but elsewhere the bilberry bushes and heather have not yet started to grow back and all that seemed to be growing is a reddish moss.
This is a photo from roughly the same spot a short while after the fires a few years back.
The reddish moss was abundant here.
And again this is what it looked like in the aftermath of the fire.
I can only hope that it recovers in due course and when it does it will be interesting to see what nature comes up with.
This is what the ground cover was like before the fire.
View out over Llangorse Lake to the Brecon Beacons and a distant Black Mountain.
Castell Dinas and the Dragons Back ridge.
We managed to find a sheltered spot for a final brew of the day before heading down.
Two photos looking out over our morning section of walk. This one taken with my DSLR.
And this one with my iPhone that picks out the white flowering trees to much better effect. Its a more dramatic photo but looks overly processed compared to the more natural look of the DSLR image.
A very short walk to the car from the summit but also very steep indeed! That black cloud actually dropped a little rain on us but not enough to dampen another superb day out.
A good workout as well, 12 miles and 3,500 feet of ascent.
Last time we had a weekend day seemingly without rain. I was on my own for the day so set out early (by my standards) for a long walk in the Black Mountains. I parked up at Pont Cadwgan and headed up the forest tracks deciding to add in Crug Mawr as an extra option due to the bright morning and the fact its a fine hill.
Not quite as clear and sunny as the forecast had indicated but dry and that’s what matters especially with the appalling 2-3 weeks of rain that followed.
Crug Mawr doesn’t seem to attract many walkers and I rarely see more than a couple of people up here or on the long ridge that comes down from the high points of the Black Mountains.
I has my first sit down for the day, actually quite pleased for the breeze as it had been a bit hot and airless on the walk up.
Onwards towards those high points I mentioned. This ridge is normally a pretty wet and muddy affair but it was bone dry. Likely it’s returned to business as usual in the meantime.
A spell of brighter sunnier weather drew me onwards until I reached Pen y Gadair Fawr.
Time for another stop as its a few miles along from Crug Mawr.
Next stop Waun Fach, highest of the Black Mountains. They have worked wonders in restoring the grassland up here. The path is now much less boggy and there are huge swathes of grass where once was just black bog. The Trig Pillar on the top used to be lost in sea of peat but now stands proud next to a path through the greenery. Sadly the plague of trail bikes are still leaving their trail of damage elsewhere. The National Park really need to more to do educate and restrict them although I’m not sure how.
Onwards to the northern escarpment for a bite to eat before turning and taking the long route back down the other side of the Gwryne valley
This is looking along the ridge to Chwarel y Fan
It turned quite cloudy and cool for a while so my last stop on the top was a brief one.
I really like the ridge from here to Bal Mawr. Not narrow but airy enough to expose some grand views.
A close up shot of Llanthony and its priory.
Not sure what these trees are – flora and fauna are not my strong point – but they were all in flower all over the lower slopes and looked wonderful both from a distance and close up.
Just a matter of picking my way down to and through the forest and back to the car feeling weary and foot sore. Hardly surprising as my mapping software said 20 miles! As far as I’ve walked in a day for a very long time. I was quite pleased with myself.
Back a couple of weeks to a time of cold weather, frosts and snow. Time to pack away the summer rucksack, bring out the winter version and fill it with winter mitts, bothy bag and down jacket. Slight overkill for the Black Mountains but you can’t be too careful.
Started off beautiful clear and frosty with a strong wind and a deep chill in the air.
The walk along the ridge beyond Castell Dinas is excellent and referred to as the Dragons Back locally. Whilst that’s overstating things a bit, it is a very nice way to reach the main Black Mountains summit of Waun Fach.
The views back to Mynydd Troed, our target for the second half of the day were superb.
Looking along the ridge to Waun Fach.
And down the valley towards Crickhowell.
See, I told you we needed winter gear!
Just after we left the summit of Waun Fach we were hit by a serious snow shower. Proper winter conditions in the air if not on the ground (the snow was wet and thin)
There was a Mountain Marathon in progress with lots of people wandering about in shorts and Lycra in what was a blizzard and temperatures well below freezing with wind-chill. Definitely not the weather to be spending a night in a bivvy bag (or dressed in lycra for that matter).
The snow melted pretty much immediately, the skies cleared and we found a nice spot behind a wall for lunch.
I’ve walked this route many times as a shortish half-day but this time wanted to make a longer circuit.
We picked a route off the hills and along the lanes down to the village of Waun Fach (not the mountain) and up towards Mynydd Troed (my first ever mountain ascent when I was ten for those that don’t know that story).
There was a major fire on the mountain in the dry summer and you can see traces of it in the left of the shot below.
And as we climbed up onto the ridge.
But the scale of the damage wasn’t apparent until we were near the top.
What used to be a dense covering of knee-deep moss and heather had been stripped bare by the fire. All that remained was the grass on the path which I assumed was fresh re-growth.
In places there wasn’t even that and it looked desolate and bare. The plants up here are pretty resilient so I hope that in time it will recover.
The weather had closed in a bit and there wasn’t much in the way of sunshine. We did get some nice sunlight streaming through the clouds over Llangorse Lake and the Brecon Beacons
We didn’t linger on the top as it was ferociously windy and bitingly cold. We took our leave plunged down the steep NE ridge down to the car
A good 12 mile stretch of wild winter walking
I like winter walking and I enjoyed this very early blast of cold and snow. Pity the weekend just gone was back to typical November, all gloom and mild wet drizzle
Back a couple of weeks before the weather turned too hot to venture into the outdoors with a heavy pack, I took another Friday night out in the mountains. I wished for a bit of breeze to keep temperatures and insects at bay and certainly got my wish.
A glorious evening of clear skies and warm sunshine. I chatted to a lady van-camping in the car park with her very friendly Jack Russell pup chewing my laces. No sign of the promised breeze as I set off.
It was a hot climb through the fly infested bracken as I headed for a summit pitch on Pen y Gadair Fawr. Still no breeze and I felt that the midges were eying me up for a buffet supper
As I crested the top, the breeze finally kicked in. Less a breeze than a very significant and very chilly wind that I was struggling to stand up in
It would have made a superb summit camp, lots of flat thick grass but it was just too cold to enjoy the surroundings. I’d also hoped to pick up some water, figuring that at least one of the numerous springs that rise on the summit would be running. No such luck. I decided press on in the hope of finding a sheltered spot
Trouble its a pretty exposed spot up here and the wind was roaring and grass is in short supply. The compensation was that it was cool and walking along a high level ridge in the late evening is a simple joy
The bog cotton was giving everything an almost frost-like feeling. The photos can’t do justice to how beguiling it was
They have massively improved the paths up here so I made swift progress over Waun Fach without ever finding a respite from the wind. I tried a few grassy groughs, but none were suitable
Eventually I had to plunge a hundred metres or so down the Y Grib Ridge and found a sort of level pitch on a terrace of deep lush grass. What it lacked in comfort it more than made up for with a superb sunset vista
There was just enough wind to keep the insects at bay without it being too cold and I sat outside, read and drank many brews of tea before turning in well past 11pm
Tough to tear yourself away from views like this
I expected a blazing sun to cook the tent and have me outside early. I awoke at 8am with no sign of the sun. I was in the cloud again. Looking up was clear blue though and the sky was surely to clear and on queue as the water boiled for my last cuppa before I ran out of water, it did
It was an amazing morning. The east wind had cleared any haze from the air and the sky between the wispy clouds was a deep azure blue. Pen y Fan and Beacons poked above the cloud and I thought of TBF on her 25 mile sponsored walk around the range. She was on Pen y Fan summit round about the time I too this photo
I decided to walk all around the escarpment to Lord Hereford’s Knob and on a day like this it was amazing. It really puts a spring in the step to have views like this to accompany you and I covered the ground swiftly
There were several D of E groups out most of whom seemed cheerfully incompetent, walking in various directions none which seemed to be the right one!
I topped out on the Knob and where the panorama across the Wye valley is breathtaking
Despite the glorious day I had this very popular and easily accessible summit to myself but it was still very windy and bit chilly. Added to the fact I’d not had breakfast and had no water pushed me onwards to resupply and take on calories
I had to walk much further down the Nant Bwch stream before the water was flowing sufficiently well to be drinkable. I found a fine spot and set about making my bacon sandwiches and several cups of tea to re-hydrate
I had thought about dropping down to Capel y Ffin and walking back over the ridge to the car. The fact that out of the wind it was still really hot had me thinking of a better plan. I retraced my steps back toward the edge and the curved off towards the summit of Twyn Talycefn.
The strong breeze was keeping the skies clear and the temperatures perfect for walking. Much better to be up high in weather like this
Looking back to the ridge I’d walked the previous evening
I dropped down to the Grwyne Fawr Reservoir with an idea of a sneaky swim.
I don’t normally like swimming in reservoirs as they do have their dangers but I found a stunning little spot on the banks and took a short dip without straying too far into the water.
Another cup of tea seemed in order as I felt like I had the whole place to myself.
Then it was a simple matter of the long walk back down past the dam to the car
A nice easy angled path to finish the day with grand views back to the dam and the deep greens of the valley under the still totally clear sky
Another superb one-nighter although I would have enjoyed a bit of company as I’ve done most of this years trips solo. 15-16 miles over the two days with the aimless wandering I did looking for a pitch and just enjoying being out.
May be the last such trip for a while. The last couple of weeks have been just too hot and sultry for walking so I’ve been getting my exercise in the water with some wild swimming, more of which in future posts. Then its holiday time for me and the family as we head to Wales and France for some sociable fun with friends
Last week, winter arrived in the UK. Temperatures fell and so did the snow. Time to get up early and head out for some winter walking. Me and TJS were off into the Black Mountains for a walk over its highest summits in the hope there would be some snow. There was!
The drive up the long valley of Gwryne Fawr was very snowy, pleased I took the 4WD and not the small car! The car park was covered and there was deep powdery snow everywhere. Splendid
We decided to head up the valley first and return over the tops as I prefer a steep descent rather than the other way around
There was a watery blue sky and some weak sunshine and it felt great be walking on snow. Despite the first snowy weekend there was hardly anyone about
The valley has a reservoir and dam and it’s always further up here than I remember
We found a lower path right along the shore that was rather nice and we hoped would take us all the way to the bothy for a look-see (I’ve never been in)
The path became narrower and much closer to the lake. With all the snow there was a distinct possibility of a slip becoming a rather wet and cold one!
Eventually the path vanished altogether and we gave up on the bothy and headed back up to the track
As we reached the northern escarpment of the Black Mountains the wind picked up and we matched with an increased pace. There were a few stretches of path improvements, likely due to the serious damage trail bikes have been doing up here. Even with a covering of snow you could see their tracks. Hopefully the damage can be repaired but it will cost a fortune.
We reached Waun Fach – highest point in the Black Mountains – paused, and quickly moved on. The skies had turned grey and it’s a pretty bleak spot
We pushed on towards Pen y Gadair Fawr which despite being more prominent and always looking higher than Waun Fach is actually 30 feet lower. We found a sheltered spot for lunch among the snow-filled groughs
We’d made very quick time, we were earlier than expected and it was only a short steep drop back down to the car. We’d had our fill though, experienced some winter walking in the snow so were happy. Time to head home for a hot drink and a hearty meal
10 miles and 1,900 feet of ascent (courtesy of a high start) in just over four hours including stops. Impressive (for me!)
It caught me off guard did this day. Forecast was for sunshine and showers but I hadn’t checked the temperatures. As we drove out towards the Black Mountains all was white on the tops. I thought we’d seen the end of the snow but no – there was more.
This is another of my favourite routes, one I’ve done many times before, the most recent here. However TJS has never done this route and he was up for it. For a cold wintery day it’s ideal, high enough to get up into the snow, short enough that it’s not too far if you get a soaking.
Which is exactly what happened to my DSLR camera when it fell out of the boot of the car into a puddle when I opened it. Luckily it was in it’s case so it’s just fine although the case still has the mud marks
Narrow-ish ridges are a rarity in South Wales. Y Grib is one to be treasured. We were soon on it’s crest and heading up into the snow. It was a bitingly cold day but with that clarity of air that comes with a showery winter day.
Everything looked white up high. There was only a couple of inches of snow but it covered everything.
The cloud came down and swamped us while we were on the summit but no matter. The edges are much better viewpoints in the Black Mountains than the summits.
It was too cold linger so we rushed on heading down and looking for somewhere for lunch. We found one at the col before Mynydd Llysiau although it was a little bleak and draughty especially for TJS as I’d forgotten his hot chocolate. He took it well, probably better than I would have done had the roles been reversed
By the time we set off my fingers were numb, took me a good half hour to get the feeling back. Sometimes my quest for a brew on a winters walk should really be curtailed
The weather was really indecisive, flirting between blue skies and deep black clouds and heavy snow showers.
The walk finishes with a climb up Castell Dinas – a brutually steep one at that but a very fine viewpoint to finish off a day in the Black and White Mountains
A very fine walk this one, good to see it under some snow this time
A repeat of a walk I did with TJS at the same time last year. This time he was off on a school trip to France and TJF was in a actting workshop. Me a TBF had a few hours to complete a walk before we picked her up. It was something of a brisk walk to make sure we got back in time to pick her up but it’s a fine walk. This year we stopped in the churchyard for lunch. There is a full write up at the link here so I’ve just included a few choice photos and slideshow for this version
TJS had been hassling me for a “proper long walk” as we hadn’t been out together for a couple of months. We had a decent looking day so I took him on the the promised long route, a round of the Grwyne Fawr valley, taking in the highest summit in the Black Mountains, Waun Fach, the local high point.
10.5 Miles
It was perishing cold and windy when we set off but with blue skies overhead.
After a steep start through more of the dark, primeval forest that cloaks the lower slopes round these parts we emerged blinking into the bright sunlight. The summits were shrouded in clouds but there was clear sky elsewhere so I was confident it would clear later and so it proved.
Across the soggy slopes up onto the ridge at the Blacksmiths Anvil. The views across the Gwyrne Fawr reservoir and dam were especially fine.
From here the long broad ridge proceeds endlessly but easily over Twyn Talycefn to the Trig Pillar and un-named point overlooking the northern escarpment and Wye Valley. It had pretty much cleared now and it was a fine day.
TJS is into his third year at High School now and is choosing his GCSEs. We chatted long about his options and the time was flying by. It’s really enjoyable to share these big days with him, and chance to catch up and talk as I’m out most of week working so glimpses of my kids are fleeting
We needed some lunch and pressed on looking for shelter. Unfortunately this area seems to be plagued by motocross riders and the damage was extensive turning what used to be a decent path into a 30m wide mess of ruts and mud. Quite why they have to come up here when there must be endless muddy farmers fields they can churn up I don’t know. They can have no idea of the damage a single bike can cause in seconds let alone in greater numbers. If the pattern continues many sections of these great hills will become irreparably damaged and impassable.
We wandered off piste and found a sheltered little spot on the western side overlooking Mynydd Troed where we’d walked last new year. The sun was already low in the sky with the short days so there was no time to linger. Low sunlight however means stunning views, highlighting the autumn browns to great effect
Onto the broad summit of Waun Fach, the summit of the Black Mountains. Not as boggy as I remember it but a wild a lonely place nonetheless. TJS was pleased to reach the high point of his local hills.
Over more soggy ground to Pen y Gadair Fawr. It’s more prominent than Waun Fach with a distinctive flat top and always looks higher from wherever you see it. I’ll have to take the word of the OS that it’s 1m lower 🙂
The way was enlivened by another motocross rider, spraying mud lavishly as he went, appalling and heartbreaking in equal measure.
The sun really was setting fast and the light streaming through the clouds was grand.
We’d done all the hard work though and it was a simple matter of plunging down the slopes to the road to get the car.
TJS got his wish – a 10.5 mile walk possibly the longest he’s done. He keeps pace with me know so it’s only a matter of time before he’s waiting for me to catch up 🙂
I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.
I'll also add in some gear and tech reviews and when something irks me I may even use this forum to have a rant - I do that pretty well I'm told.There are a few pages at the top that give a bit of background to what I like to get up to and what you can expect to see in my posts. I'm not exactly a creative writer but I hope some people will find my stuff useful or inpsiring or at least enjoy some of my photos.
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